Worth the fight

Chapter 22

Elle

“Oh my god, this is so good. What did you put in the eggs?”

Nico laughs. “Can’t give away my secret. But I think you’re an easy audience with all the take out crap you eat.”

After breakfast we share a shower. We stay in until we’re both pruney and the water runs cold. I could have spent hours sudsing up all the hard lines on Nico. He’s even more sexy in the full light of day. His broad square shoulders lead to his thick tattooed and rippled arms. His flat abdominal muscles feel as if they’re carved of stone and he has the most delicious v that points down to his impressive manhood. Truly a work of art.

Nico tells me he wants to take me out for the day and I agree, although he won’t tell me where we are going. We pass through the gym on the way out and I’m surprised at how packed it is for a Sunday. A lot of shouted greetings are exchanged and Nico waves and keeps us moving. I hear a catcall or two as we make our way to the garage and I feel Nico’s grip tighten on my hip.

He opens the door to the SUV for me and helps me in. “Sorry about that. Sunday is match day and it’s a testosterone fest. They come in pumped up to compete and their manners go out the window.”

I smile. “It’s fine. Doesn’t bother me. I waitressed through college at a place that hosted private bachelor parties every weekend. I learned to smile and ignore real fast.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll be kicking some asses when I get back, all the same.”

We pull up at Navy Pier Park and Nico comes around to open my door. He helps me out of the SUV, but doesn’t release my hand. Together we walk with our fingers laced tightly from the parking garage toward the Ferris wheel. I’ve never been one for public displays of affection, but it feels good, oddly natural, not forced or contrite.

There’s a fair going on, as there is most summer weekends down at the pier, and vendors are set up all over the park. We walk around for a little while and the way that Nico directs us, I feel like we have a destination to get to eventually. But I don’t ask. It’s so unlike me to go with the flow and let someone else take the lead.

We come upon a bunch of tables set up, covered in Girl Scout cookies and dozens of girls in scout uniforms. A little girl is charging in our direction and for a minute I think she is running away from someone. Her face is so intent on where she is going. I can’t help but smile when I see her smile, her entire face lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas morning as she yells, “Uncle Nico, you came!”

Nico lifts her up and swings her into the air as the little girl is about to crash into us. “Yeah squirt, I came. You asked me to, right?” He sets her back down on the ground and she grabs Nico’s hand and begins pulling him in the direction of the cookie table. Nico looks to me apologetically, and grabs my hand, pulling me with him. We’re a human train led by what looks to be a six or seven-year-old girl.

“This is my Uncle Nico and he’s famous!” The little girl yells to her friends. A gang of little girls swarm Nico and it’s the first time I see the big tough guy look a little scared.

A woman stands next to me and introduces herself as Katie, Sarah’s mom. She apologizes for her daughter’s excitement and tells me that Uncle Nico is very popular with his nieces and nephews. I’m listening to her talk, but I can’t tear my eyes from Nico as he interacts with the kids. He’s such a walking contradiction, everything that he doesn’t appear to be. Soft, gentle, sweet, and playful, nothing like the bad boy fighter who I first laid eyes on more than a year ago at a random fight that I had no business being at.

As if he senses me watching him, Nico looks up at me and catches me watching him. He smiles at me and I smile back. When I finally tear my gaze from the man who has captured my attention like no other, I find Katie is staring at me smiling. “What?” For a second I think I must have missed something during my momentary lapse of consciousness.

“Oh boy. You’re in trouble. I know that look he has. It’s the look of determination and the Hunter boys don’t stop till they get what they want.”

I laugh off her comment, but the thought that I could be Nico Hunter’s prey makes my stomach do a little flip flop.